The Search for Paleo Dog and the Recognition of Ancient Art

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

During archaeological field schools in 1976-1978, unfamiliar chert objects and tools were recovered from a sandy/clay deposit at the Container Corporation of America site (CCA 8MR154), Marion County, Florida. This deposit, the Alachua Clays, was traditionally considered "culturally sterile." The specimens from the sandy/clay deposit did not resemble in any way chert artifacts from the overlying sand layers that ranged from Middle Archaic to Paleoindian. Significantly, a gigantic chert boulder, jokingly designated "Paleo Dog," was exposed in Area 3, Square 3, and numerous chert specimens were recovered around and below it from the Alachua Clays. Field schools terminated, excavation units were backfilled, and Paleo Dog did not see the light of day again until March 28, 2017. Renewed interest in the CCA site led to the exposure and study of its stratigraphy in several backhoe trenches, and to the excavation in 2017-2018 of nine new units in Area 3, seven of which confirmed the existence of cultural material in the Alachua Clays, including animal figures of chert. Paleo Dog’s resurrection, chert animal figures, the Alachua Clays, and exciting recent discoveries are the subjects of this presentation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24203